Board for use in playing a game of darts



A. W. W. SALTER BOARD FOR USE IN PLAYING A GAME OF DARTS Filed June 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l /N vE/vrae H-W- .sause PE? 40mm Dec. 31, 1940. A. w. w. SALTER BOARD FOR USE IN PLAYING A GAME OF DARTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 wm/w v H N S e W Wm e;

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@HHHHHHHI U Filed June 28, 1939 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Alfred Walter William Salter. London, England Application June 28, 1939, Serial No. 281,504 In Great Britain July 5, 1938 1 Claim. (Cl. 27310Z) This invention relates to an improved board for playing a game of darts.

The object of the invention is to provide a board which in use necessitates the exercise of considerable skill in controlling the elevation in the throwing of the darts, it being well known that it is harder to attain and maintain height than traverse in the game.

With this object in view my improved board bears a playing area divided into a number of parallel horizontal zones, e. g. somewhat similar to a football or rugby field with an appropriate centre or kick off area and spaces representing goals whereby a game simulating football or mg by can be played.

In one form of this invention a board for playing a game of darts comprises a wood, cork or other suitable board divided by wires into a number of parallel, horizontal or other suitably arranged zones or areas which may be distinctively coloured. A centre or kick off area is provided and areas representing goals are arranged at each end of the field. The shape of the playing area may be such that the sides converge towards the goal areas to render the game harder as those areas are approached by darts of the players.

Markers are provided on the board which may be moved or turned by the players as the game proceeds or as half time or change over period is reached so that the player is reminded of the correct zone at which to throw his darts. A number of fiags may be provided to fix the corners of the field to carry the simulation of a field game still further.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, drawings are appended hereto illustrating embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a board marked to simulate the American football field, and also markers and corner flags.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a board marked to enable a game to be played simulating English Association football and with appropriate markers.

Fig. Bis a vertical section of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a slight modification of the board.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show devices for use with the game.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings the board I may be of any suitable material and is of any desired shape but is preferably square or rectangular to facilitate the lining up or setting out of a playing area bounded by four wires 2 and represented by a number of parallel, distinctively coloured horizontal bands G and R, e. g. green and red bands respectively, divided by transverse wires 3, the wires being embedded at their ends in the board.

A central area of any suitable shape, g a

circular area 4 is bounded by a wire 5 and represents the kick off area and two smaller zones G and R one at each end of the playing area, represent the goal spaces.

A number of small flags 6 (an example being shown in Fig. '7) are provided with the board for fixing in the corners of the field to make the appearance more realistic of a football or rugby field. The fiags may bear the colours of the players own team or of the football team he supports.

A T-shaped marker 1 is provided to indicate the progress of play and consists of a pointer 7a adapted to be inserted selectively in holes 8 along one side of the board, and a transverse bar lb with distinctively coloured discs or pointers 1g and 11', e. g. green and red respectively at its ends. The holes 8 are aligned against the dividing wires 3 so that the discs or pointers 1g and 11 will align with the divisions G and R. The distinctively coloured ends of the bar lb indicate the particular section a player has to throw a dart 9 into, a suitable dart being shown in Fig. 5. If desired distinctively coloured sets of darts may be provided.

A dart board for use in playing ,a game simulating the English Association football game can be marked as shown in Fig. 2, and may have a lesser number of bands G and R. If desired a diamond shaped kick-oil area 4 can be adopted as shown in this figure, instead of the circular area.

To introduce variety in the degree of skill required for throwing darts into the appropriate sections as a player gets nearer a goal area, the sides of the playing area may converge as shown in Fig. 4.

The rules of the game can follow closely those of football and the game is preferably as follows:

1. Time Zimit.-The game is played in two halves; each half to be of the same duration, say for instance, fifteen minutes each half.

2. Changing ends.-At the conclusion of the first half, the teams will change ends; i. e. defend the opposite goal to that defended during the play in the first half.

3. Choice of ends.--The choice of ends shall be decided by the toss of a coin. The winner chooses which end he will defend.

4. Start of game.The loser of the choice for ends endeavours to kick-01f.

5. Kick-ofi.-The game is commenced by a dart being thrown into the centre spot and progress thereafter is by sections towards the goal. The advance must be made by throwing the dart into the section in the correct order as follows:

After scoring the centre spot, the next section to aim for is that above or below the centre spot; i. e. the two sections on the side of centre spot are not played into when advancing direct from a kick-off.

Should the first thrower fail to kick off by throwing a dart into the centre spot, the first player of the opposing side will endeavour to kick oil.

Assuming that two people are playing, R (red) and G (green) and that R Wins the toss and elects to play down.

G plays first and hits the diamond 4 with say his second dart, he then aims for section 6 which we will assume he gets. R then has to place a dart in 6, and if successful, proceeds to 5 and then to 4. G comes in, and if R gets to 4, G must also go for 4 to cancel Rs last throw, thence to 5, and so the game proceeds with these additional rules.

6. Infringements Foul (Hands). Once the centre diamond has been hit, it is a penalty to throw a dart into it by either side, the in- There is no penalty if the player happens to hit it with his last dart, as the other side automatically come in.

There is no penalty for either side until one side has first started the game by scoring in the diamond.

'7. Ontside.A dart thrown outside the side lines or behind the opponents back line, also incurs loss of any remaining darts. The same applies should the player get the opponents goal without having scored in 8 (or I) previously.

8-. 0fiside.When playing in an opponents half of the field, it shall be considered an infringement to throw a dart more than one section in advance of the section which should be played into. The penalty for this infringement is that the offending player forfeits the remainder of his throw and his team is penalized by the loss of the one section; that is, the game is advanced one section in favour of their opponents. Thus, if G is throwing for 5 and gets in 1 or 8, he loses any darts remaining and R then goes for 4.

9. Corner.--Should a player at any time during the game throw a dart behind his own goal line, he shall be considered to have conceded a corner. The penalty is that the game is immediately transferred to the opponents, who are rewarded one dart only, which shall be thrown for the goal. If the attempt to score a goal with this one dart is unsuccessful, then the offending player continues to throw the remainder of his darts. Should the offence have been committed with any but the last dart of his throw, then the 0pponent will have the one free shot for goal and then carry on with their normal throw of three darts and continue the game from the point at which the game stood when the corner was conceded. Any player of a team may be selected to throw the penalty dart, irrespective of whether it is his turn to play or not.

10. Own gcaZ.If at any time during the game a player throws a dart into his own goal, he shall be considered to have scored a goal for his opponent.

l1. Time.Time shall not be called during a throw. If time is reached while a player is throwing, he shall be permitted to complete his throw.

l2. Re-starL-To re-start play after a goal has been scored, the team against Whom the goal was scored will re-start the play by attempting to kick-off as for the commencement of the game. Re-starting after the change-over of ends at half-time will be the same as at the commencement of the game except that the team which won the toss for choice of ends, will commence the kick-off.

13. Order of play.The order in which members of a team throw i. e., 1, 2 or 3 cannot be altered after the commencement of play until half time, and again cannot be altered after the commencement of the second half.

I claim:

In a dart board target sections at opposite ends of the board and a pointer adapted to stick into the board in conjunction with the darts to indicate the particular section to be aimed for by the dart to be played, transverse lines on the board, a hole opposite one end of each line affording a marginal set of holes adapted to receive the pointer, said transverse lines dividing the board into sections, said sections being in two sets distinctively coloured, the distinctively coloured sections thereof being arranged alternately, and the said pointer being provided with two correspondingly coloured parts adapted to align with the successive pair of the said coloured sections of the board, and a central target area contained in and common to the central pair of distinctively coloured sections and being coloured distinctively.

ALFRED WALTER WILLIAM SALTER. 

